Emergency tire chain



8, 1936. F. KUNZ El AL 2,053,953

EMERGENCY TIRE CHAIN Filed April 3, 1935 a Frederic Kuyzz 29 BY Stephan A Mmevq VENTORS 217mg by I Patented Sept. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,053,953 I, numeracy mm cum Frederick Kunz, Bloomfield, N. 1., and

Stephan A. Minery, Merideu, Gonn.

Application April 3, 1935, Serial No. 14,384

1 Claim.

This invention relates to anti-skid devices, and more particularly to a quickly attachable and detachable emergency tire chain.

One object of this invention is to provide an emergency tire chain having a pair of crosschains which, when in use, tightly embrace the tread section of the tire, and will not creep around the tire.

A further object is to provide an emergency tire chain of the above nature including a pair of inwardly inclined ribbed side plates, the outer ends of which'are connectedby a pair of treadengaging cross-chain, and in which the inner ends of said plates are adapted to be tightly drawn together by a bolt and wing-nut, the leverage of said plates against the wheel rim causing said cross-links to be tightly held upon said tire.

A further object is to provide an emergency chain of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to put on and take off, compact, and very efflcient and durable in use.

With these and other objects inview, there 4 has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing, one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of an automobile wheel rim and tire with the invention shown applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-section through the same, showing an end view of an emergency tire chain with portions broken away for clearness.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral Ill indicates generally a'conventional form of automobile wire wheel having a stepped rim H for holding the usual tire shoe I2 and inner tube l3 on the outer side thereof.

The improved emergency chain includes a pair of undulated side plates l4 and I5, preferably formed of heavy sheet metal, and adapted to lie in an inclined position against the edges of the rim H. The upper ends of the plates l4 and H: are each formed with an outwardly inclined flange Ni, ii, each of said flanges being providedwith a pair of elongated slots l8 and I9 passing therethrough.

A pair of cross-chains 20 and 2| are adapted to be attached to the side plates l4 and l5-by means of attaching links 22 secured to the oppositeend links of each cross-chain 20 and 2|.

Each attaching link 22lj=has a pair of bent-over hooked extremities 23 which are adapted to be inserted through the elongated slots l8 and IS in the plate flanges l6 and I1, and preferably enclosed thereabout. It is within the scope of the 6 present invention, however, to leave said extremities 23- open sufficiently to permit removal of the plates therefrom.

The plates 14 and iii are provided with inter--- mediate outwardly convex sections 24, 25, terminating in fiat top and bottom ear members 26, 26a, and 21, 2112:, respectively. The top cars 26, 2611. are adapted to lie against the tire [2, while the bottom ears 21, 21a engage the inner shoulders 21b of the tire rim which serves as a fulcrum. The ear 2'! of the front plate I4 is preferably made somewhat longer than the ear 21a of the'rear plate [5, as best shown in Fig. 2. The front ear 2'! is provided with a round aperture 28, while the short ear 21a has a square aperture 29,-said apertures being adapted to receive the threaded section 30 and the squared section 3|, respectively, of a carriage bolt 32- having a round head 33. The threaded outer section 30 of the bolt 32 is provided with a wingnut 34 for securely holding the side plates I4 and IS in detachable inclined position on the wheel rim ll.

' Operation In the operation of applying the emergency chain upon the tire l2, the bolt 30 and wing nut 34 will first be removed from the front plate It. The rear plate I5 will then be positioned behind the wheel and against the inside of the wheel rim H, as shown, whereupon the threaded section of the bolt 30 may be inserted forwardly between any two adjacent wheel spokes. The cross-chains 20 and 2| will then be placed about the tread section ofthe tire l2 and the aperture 28 in the front plate l4 brought into registry with the bolt 30 and slipped thereover, so as to bring said plate l4 against the front surface of the rim II. Finally, the wing-nut 34 will be assembled upon the bolt 30 and tightened to draw the depending ears 45 21 and 21a and plates l4 and 15 together, as shown in Fig. 2.

It is to be noted that as the nut 34 is tightened, the plates M and IE will abut against the projecting shouldered sections of the wheel rim H, 56

the clamping plates I4 and I! will be held tightly in position upon the rim Ii by the tension of the cross-links 20 and 2|, and the resiliency of the air-fllled tire I! will prevent the cross-chains from creeping. It will be understood that, ii. desired, the inner surfaces of the side plates l4 and is may be lined with a strip of felt or other soft material to prevent all possibility of the wheel rim from scratching. 4

While there has been disclosed in this specification one i'orm in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose oi! illustration only; and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes side plates, 9, cross-chain connected to the outer sections of said plates, a threaded bolt passing through the inner sections of said plates, and nut means on said bolt for drawing said plates against 10 the shoulders of the tire rim as iulcra, said iulcra engaging said plates at points closer to the inner ends of said plates than the outer ends thereof to cause a large movement of said outer ends oi said plates to tighten the chain about the tire.

' FREDERICK KUNZ.

STEPI-IAN A. MINERY. 

